Each day this week on our blog we are highlighting a finalist for The Washington Post 2010 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management.

Meet Post Award Finalist Global Impact

Global Impact works to assure help for the world’s most vulnerable people. Global Impact’s funded charities touch more than 400 million lives each year through disaster relief, education, health training and economic programs that promote self-sufficiency, strengthen communities and offer hope. Since its inception in 1956, Global Impact has generated more than $1.2 billion to help people in need. The organization has a staff of 61 full-time employees, more than 40,000 annual volunteers and a budget of $131.9 million.

Q & A with Post Award Finalist Global Impact

1. What does this award mean for you and your organization?
   
   The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management is a widely recognized award in the community and among nonprofit organizations for outstanding achievement in management, innovation and best practices.
   
   Trust, transparency and accountability are critical to our ability to fulfill our mission of helping the world’s most vulnerable people. We raise money from donors and fund charities in our local community, across the nation and around the world. Year after year, for example, Federal employees in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and the Department of Defense military and civilians serving in the five combatant commands demonstrate their strong public service spirit by contributing generously to the two Combined Federal Campaigns that we manage. These Federal employees stepped up to give even more to the charitable organizations that mean the most to them as the needs continue to be greater than ever.
   
   The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management raises awareness among donors and nonprofit organizations of the importance of excellence and innovation in management. It educates the broad community about the importance of leadership and accountability among nonprofit organizations.
   
    
2. What have you learned through the application process for The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management?
   
   The application process has been an incredible learning experience for the organization. The breadth and depth of the issues and best practices covered in the application questions provided us with the opportunity to critically evaluate our organization and reflect on both our strengths and opportunities for improvement.
   
   During the self-assessment, we used a collaborative approach to capture varying perspectives from people throughout the organization. We leveraged the learnings from the application process to help us develop and organize the sessions and training at our recent All Staff Conference where we brought together employees from around the world for celebration, collaboration and learning. It gave us a common understanding of the strides the organization has made to strengthen its management practices and a focus on the importance of continuous improvement. Finally, it supported our efforts to continue to work effectively as an integrated team across the organization.
   
   We will continue to leverage the knowledge that we gained from this process as we review and refine our strategic initiatives and path for future growth.
   
    
3. What advice would you offer for other nonprofit leaders/organizations striving for excellence in nonprofit management?
   
   Global Impact has undergone tremendous growth in the past 5 to 10 years from raising less than $30 million in 2003 to more than $130 million in 2009. The organization experienced significant diversification of both business lines and revenue.
   
   Growth brings challenges and opportunities to an organization. First, it is important to have strong board governance in place to support the organization’s growth and development. Secondly, it must recognize that the needs of the organization change, which often require different capabilities and capacity. This entails an in-depth review of changes in:

• Organizational roles, responsibilities and structure
• Staff skills and mix
• Processes and procedures
• Infrastructure
• Performance management systems
  
  Global Impact utilized this thoughtful approach to help achieve sustainable growth and excellence in management.

Learn more about Global Impact.

Watch the finalist video produced by Re:Act Media.